Is Iterator initialization inside for loop considered bad style, and why?

Question

Typically you will find STL code like this:

for (SomeClass::SomeContainer::iterator Iter = m_SomeMemberContainerVar.begin(); Iter != m_SomeMemberContainerVar.end         


        

Answer 1

I don't have any console experience, but in most modern C++ compiliers either option ends up being equivilent except for the question of scope. The visual studio compilier will virtually always even in debug code put the condition comparison in an implicit temporary variable (usually a register). So while logically it looks like the end() call is being made through each iteration, the optimized compiled code actually only makes the call once and the comparison is the only thing that is done each subsiquent time through the loop.

This may not be the case on consoles, but you could unassemble the loop to check to see if the optimization is taking place. If it is, then you can you whatever style you prefer or is standard in your organization.